Tafseer of The Spider · Al-Ankaboot · 29:65
And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: And when they board the ship, they call upon Allah, devoting the religion purely to Him; but when He has brought them safely to land, then at once they ascribe partners to Him (65).
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: and when these polytheists (mushrikīn) board the ship at sea and they fear to drown therein and to perish, then they call upon Allah and devote the religion purely to Him — He says: then, in the distress that overtakes them, they devote the profession of the oneness purely to Allah, and they direct obedience solely to Him, and they submit themselves to Him in servitude, and they do not call upon their gods and their equals for help, but rather Allah who created them. But when He has brought them safely to land — He says: but when He has rescued them from that in which they were and has preserved them, so that they reached the land, then at once they set up a partner alongside Allah in their worship, and they call upon the gods and the idols alongside Him as lords.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: But when He has brought them safely to land, then at once they ascribe partners to Him — so all creatures acknowledge before Allah that He is their Lord, and thereafter they ascribe partners to Him.
